Cat questions answered

When your cat jumps into your lap, purring contentedly and rubbing her head against your hand, you naturally assume she is in the mood for being petted. But then BOOM - out of nowhere – it’s like someone has flicked a switch. In a matter of seconds your sweet natured cat morphs into a seething ball of rage. And if you don’t pick up on the very subtle warning signs quickly enough, you will find to your cost that the hand stroking your cat is the hand she bites! So just why does this happen? The first thing to understand is that a high percentage of cats do not actually like being picked up and/or stroked repeatedly. In fact some cats do not like being petted at all. Whilst they might be quite happy to sit and fall asleep on your lap, they may not necessarily want you to stroke them. Cats are very sensitive creatures and if the stroking becomes too fast and furious they can easily become over stimulated. When this happens the feelings of affection suddenly turn to feelings

If you were presented with a litter of fluffy kittens, all huddled together around their mother, it would be an almost impossible task to choose one over another. All kittens are charming and adorable little creatures. However, as with all young animals, kittens are weak and vulnerable, and taking home a sickly kitten could result in a great deal of heartbreak. My first cat Jasmine was given to me by husband as a Christmas present, the first year we were married. She had been abandoned along with her brothers and sisters at what I believe now must have been around 5 weeks old. In other words she had been taken away from her mother far too early. Needless to say I fell in love with her the moment I set eyes on her, but I must be honest there were moments over those first two weeks of owning her that we almost lost her. I remember sitting up with her, wrapped in a blanket, feeding her from a pipette and taking advice from my veterinary over the phone during those early days of her

Cats usually purr when they are communicating feelings of happiness, contentment and affection. However, they also purr when they are ill or afraid. My first cat, Jasmine took me completely by surprise on more than one occasion when I heard her purring whilst she was in a highly stressed state being examined on the vet’s table. It was not in any way the same as the contented purr you hear when a cat is being stroked – but it was purring nevertheless! From a very young age a kitten uses her purr to communicate contentment to her mother whilst she is feeding. The mother cat reassures her kitten by purring back. From this point on a cat uses her purr to communicate satisfaction. When you stroke her, play with her or present her with a dish full of her favourite food she will convey her appreciation by purring. Sometimes my cat will jump on my bed purring very loudly when I am half asleep. She doesn't particularly want stroking but she certainly wants to be warm, comfortab

When you look at your cute and playful 6 month old female kitten excitedly chasing a soft toy around the room, you may find it hard to believe that she is in fact sexually mature enough to become a mother to her own kittens.   What makes this all the more confusing for new cat owners is the fact that kittens continue to grow – and are still considered to be “a kitten” - until they are aged 9 -12 months old. Many cat food manufacturers also recommend that you do not treat your kitten as an adult cat for feeding purposes until they reach this age. Not only this, but most young adult cats continue to display kitten-like behaviour until they are several years old. My 4 year old cat Cleopatra still occasionally has what I call her “kitten” moments when she chases a small ball around the room and rolls on her back for a gentle tummy tickle! Add all this together and it is easy to see why many first time cat owners would quite simply not even consider the possibilities of their

Has anyone ever said to you “you look like the cat that got the cream” when you are feeling smug and happy about something? Well you may be surprised to know that in reality the cat that gets the cream is not always a particularly happy one. I am not altogether sure where the association between a cat and a saucer of milk comes from – perhaps it is a myth that was created by various cartoon cat creators over the years. What I do know is that many cat owners believe they are giving their pet a treat by offering them a saucer of milk or cream to drink when in fact, the reverse is true. Whilst some cats do enjoy the taste of cow’s milk, it is certainly not a dietary requirement and offers no nutritional value for a cat. If he drinks too much milk it could actually stop your cat from eating all the meaty stuff that is good for him, resulting in him being malnourished.  Furthermore, giving your cat milk to drink on a regular basis can actually cause him to have a constan

You can tell a great deal about your cat’s mood by looking at his tail, but contrary to what a lot of people think, a fluffed up tail does not always represent fear and aggression in a cat. When my cat is in an ultra lively mood, she will sometimes run madly around near me, as if she is trying to catch something. When I turn around to see what she is doing, I notice her stood still right next to me, her eyes all wide with her tail upright and fluffed up like a feather duster. I can, however tell by her body language that she is in the mood for play not fighting and it is usually the cue for me to bring out a piece of string, or find a nice strong branch in the garden for her to chase after. When a cat is in direct confrontation with another cat you may notice his tail fluffing up, as well as the fur all over his body. What he is in fact trying to do is make himself appear bigger and stronger than his opponent. He will probably be standing upright and looking dominant.